


Second Wind

by Second Wind (Second_Wind)



Category: The Last of Us (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - The Last of Us (Video Games) Setting, Angst, Blood and Injury, Heavy Angst, Injury Recovery, Joel (The Last of Us) Lives, Major Character Injury, The Last of Us Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-03
Updated: 2020-09-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:13:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,454
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26271691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Second_Wind/pseuds/Second%20Wind
Summary: A Canon Divergent look at Abby's attack on Joel, instead of dying mercy is shown and a cycle is broken. But there is always consequences to actions isn't there? Will Joel survive his injuries? Will Ellie forgive Abby? Who will stop Tommy's rampage?Will be updated weekly (hopefully) hope you all enjoy!
Comments: 1
Kudos: 16





	Second Wind

**Author's Note:**

> _"Go on now, go, walk out the door  
>  Just turn around now  
> 'Cause you're not welcome anymore  
> Weren't you the one who tried to hurt me with goodbye?  
> You think I'd crumble?  
> You think I'd lay down and die?_
> 
> _Oh no, not I, I will survive  
>  Oh, as long as I know how to love, I know I'll stay alive  
> I've got all my life to live  
> And I've got all my love to give and I'll survive  
> I will survive, hey, hey"_

“Get up Joel!”

The words rang inside Abby’s head as if she was standing in an empty room that was a black endless abyss. The same words she had said to her own father when he was laying on the floor dead and still bleeding. She looked towards the woman squirming on the floor and then to the man with his head nearly bashed in. But this vengeance was hers to be had, she wouldn’t let anyone take this away from her. She raised the golf club above her head and swung.

“STOP, PLEASE!” The woman’s desperate voice again, Abby stopped just centremeters away from the stupid old mans head. Owen came over to Abby’s side grabbing her arm.

“What the hell are you doing?! Finish it! Isn’t this what you wanted?!” He looked astonished at her hesitation in her own actions, Abby was usually so sure and headstrong of herself.

“No.” Abby said and cast the golf club away to the floor. “No, more killing and death won’t answer things.”

Joel stared at Ellie with a sorrowful look in his gaze, he was still breathing but clearly in too much pain to actually do or say anything to her. Owen looked even more confused now, he looked to Mel with an expression that could only read ‘what the hell?’

“Mel, help him. Please.” Abby looked to her with an odd gentleness that was a once in a blue moon state for the muscular woman. It made Mel not hesitate because Abby had just asked her in a kind way and said please. Mel ran to fetch what first aid they had, she returned just as quickly and moved to the man with Owen’s help to start working on Joel. Abby’s attention was then turned to Ellie and the unconscious Tommy. “Search them and tie them up in the upstairs room, stay on the door.” She spoke to both pairs of fireflies taking care of Ellie and Tommy.

“No! Let me go!” Ellie screamed and wriggled trying to fight her captors holding her. “Please! He needs to go back, he needs help! He’ll die here!” She wept tears watching the man who was like a father to her lay on the floor in a pool of his own blood. It was the same fear she felt when he got impaled on a steel beam though, this pain felt ten times worse. If he died here and now and she didn’t get time to forgive him for everything…

“Get them upstairs, now!” Abby ordered once more. “Leave their bags and weapons down here.” Ellie let out a vicious scream once more before Abby sighed, having had her patience tested enough. She grabbed her gun from the back of her belt and hit Ellie on the head with the butt of it to knock her out. Ellie did indeed fall limp against the floor, the two fireflies took her weapons off of her. They did the same for Tommy before they hauled them both upstairs.

Mel spoke up “He might not live through this, this leg alone is just… His head is a mess.” She looked down to the man's leg where Owen was working.

Abby then snarled a little, clearly irritated. “Then amputate his damn leg and focus on his head.” 

Owen looked to her with surprise. “Abby this is in-” 

Abby’s snarl then turned it’s gaze towards Owen, clearly not liking his comment on her sanity. “Do it.” She ordered, then stomped around to Joel’s head and looked into his slited gaze. “You don’t get the easy way out you stupid old man, you’re going to fucking live with the shit that you’ve done. Do you understand?” No sound game from Joel as he stared back at her with hazel brown eyes, he couldn’t talk, the pain was too much.

Mel looked to Owen before nodding “Amputate it, just above the knee. I’ll get some morphine, make sure you tourniquet it first Owen.” He nodded before dashing off to find a saw or something to cut the limb off with. She focused her own attention on Joel’s head to stunt the bleeding, she grabbed a knife and started cutting at Joel’s hair so she could access the wounds better. Clumps of greying brown falling to the floor as the extent of what Abby had done came into sight, this was going to be touch and go. Once she had access to the head wounds she rummaged through their first aid supplies finding a morphine injector.

Owen returned with a machete “This is all I could find…” He looked hesitant before he started to tourniquet the leg just above where he was going to cut it off. Mel then injected the morphine whilst she worked on Joel’s head. Joel himself was pretty quiet apart from slight injured whimpers and groans. Mel then took off her belt and folded it over itself before putting it between Joel’s teeth she then nodded to Owen.

One. Two. Three!

Owen then swung the machete just above the whole Abby’s shotgun had left in Joel’s leg, a muffled scream of pain came from the injured older man as his mouth clamped down around the belt. The morphine hadn’t set in yet but they didn’t have time to wait, they needed to get his leg in a better state and cauterize the wound to halt the bleeding. Mel yelled to Abby “Get your knife over a fire, get it heated to seal his leg!”

Abby ran off to do just that, just as the machete came down a second time upon the limb. Joel screamed once more before he laid there limp on the floor. Owen froze and looked to Mel “Did he just fucking die?!” He looked slightly concerned looking at Joel's face. 

“Owen. Focus! Keep going!” Mel pressed two fingers to Joel’s neck to make sure he was actually still alive, his pulse was weak but she made sure his heart was still beating. Suddenly a crunch was heard as Owen broke through the bone, the rest of the flesh was split apart easily. The leg was tossed away with the machete Owen looked at his hands covered in blood, he was honestly surprised this man wasn’t dead yet.

Abby came storming in with a red hot knife and pushed Owen otu the way before pressing the blade to the open stumped leg. She nodded to Mel as some form of silent thank you for aiding her with this task, in that moment the two had some mutual silent agreement. Before Owen opened up his big mouth that is… “What now?”

“We wait.” Mel spoke with an unsure tone “He may survive he may not, he’s definitely going to need blood though. Do you think the girl and the man will know his blood type?” Mel looked to both Abby and Owen, the two shrugging in reply. “He may not survive the night even but when we can we should move him into the main room, so he’s closer to the fire. More warmth, I’ll stay by his side tonight.”

“Mel, what if he fucking wakes up and tries to stab you or something?!” Owen looked concerned.

“Even if he wakes up, which he probably won't. He won’t have the strength to even move a finger Owen, calm down.” Mel then looked to Abby “What do we do with the other two?”

“Well we can’t let them go, they’ll just run back to their pretty little settlement and get the whole town here. We’ll have to keep them here.” Owen stood up looking at his blood covered hands once more.

“Great. Two more mouths to feed.” Abby rolled her eyes.

“Shut the fuck up Abby. This is YOUR fault, you led them here and now we have three extra fucking mouths! Probably a whole town that’s pissed off too!” Owen glared at her before storming out of the room and into the main area. Mel and Abby looked at each other with a knowing gaze.

“He’ll get over it, just give him time. Can you help me carry this one to the fireplace?” Mel gestured towards Joel and Abby nodded walking over to the unconscious bloody man on the floor. She carried him like a groom would with a bride on her wedding day wandering into the main room she placed him by the fire. Her eyes taking in the face of a weathered man who had seen far too much. “Thank you Abby…” Mel interrupted her thoughts.

“You’re welcome, if you need help or anything just give me a shout alright?” They both nodded to each other before Abby departed the room herself to go and find Owen.


End file.
